1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inflatable restraint system and a method of deploying an inflatable restraint system in a vehicle.
2. Background Art
Inflatable restraint systems, such as air bags, are standard safety features incorporated in the passenger compartments of vehicles. Inflatable restraint systems cooperate with seat and lap belt mechanisms to restrict occupant movement during a vehicle collision. Most inflatable restraint systems generally include an air bag coupled to an inflator disposed within the hub of a steering wheel or in a compartment in the vehicle instrument panel.
A passenger side inflatable restraint system is typically disposed adjacent an opening formed in an upper surface of the instrument panel. A door or cover provided over the opening, either integrally formed in the instrument panel skin or mounted flush to the instrument panel, maintains the overall aesthetic appearance of the instrument panel. During a vehicle collision, a control module senses a predetermined deceleration in the vehicle, signaling the inflator to inflate the air bag. The air bag inflates upward through the opening in the instrument panel, thereby engaging the lower surface of the door or cover to remove the door from the instrument panel. However, due to the amount of force applied to the door by the air bag inflation, the door must be securely attached to the instrument panel to prevent unwanted detachment during deployment.
A variety of door mounting arrangements have conventionally been used to retain the door adjacent the opening in the instrument panel. One prior art mounting arrangement provides a door hingedly mounted to the opening in the instrument panel allowing the door to pivot forward towards the windshield. Another common mounting arrangement provides a door having weakened seams integrally formed in the instrument panel disposed adjacent an opening in the instrument panel to separate the door from the instrument panel upon deployment of the air bag. A tether is secured to the door and a portion of the instrument panel to secure the door to the instrument panel.
One disadvantage of these mounting arrangements is that the door may cause damage to the instrument panel and passenger compartment due to the force applied to the door by the deployment of the air bag. This is especially problematic where the inflatable restraint system is activated in low speed collisions which do not cause significant damage to the vehicle. Other vehicle components may be also be damaged by the deployed door.
The present invention overcomes the above-referenced problems by providing a deployment door hingedly connected to the air bag module which retracts into the opening in the instrument panel upon deployment of the air bag. An inflatable restraint assembly for a vehicle comprises an instrument panel having an opening defined in an outer surface to receive an air bag deployment door. A support structure is secured to the frame of the vehicle below the opening in the instrument panel in a cavity defined by an inner surface of the instrument panel. An air bag module is pivotally secured to the support structure adjacent the opening in the instrument panel.
The air bag module includes a housing, an inflator disposed within the housing and an air bag operatively connected to the inflator to deploy through the opening in the instrument panel. An air bag deployment door is pivotally mounted to the housing of the air bag module and cooperates with the opening in the instrument panel to cover the air bag module in the instrument panel. The air bag deployment door is movable between an installed position disposed in the opening in the instrument panel and a deployed position wherein the door is received within the cavity in the instrument panel. The door cooperates to deploy the air bag through the opening in the instrument panel into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
The above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.